Royal Blood
by jolly roger brat
Summary: A student at Royal Prep is injured and is in need of blood. But far from being grateful, she plots revenge against the one who saved her.
1. Chapter 1

After the first night of Royal Prep's annual singing contest, the royal family of Orillia was on their way back to the castle. It had been a night of entertainment, and even mystery, because one of the performers had been in a disguise.

"Sandra, you and Prince Hugo were wonderful!" Queen Patricia smiled.

"Thanks, Mom. We're going to do that other song tomorrow," her daughter Princess Sandra grinned back. "But whoever that Secret Singer guy was, he was incredible!"

"Yes he was," King Robert smiled, but he frowned a second later at the stone-faced prince sitting next to her. "It's just too bad that your brother and Princess Deidre had to attack and unmask him, but he ran off before we could get a good look at his face."

When they were back in the castle, Robert said, "Sandra, Zoe, why don't you two go get ready for bed while your mother and I have a talk with Ezekiel?"

 _'Well, Zeke, it's been nice knowing you!'_ Sandra thought with a smirk, however, she motioned for her eight-year-old sister to follow her as she said, "Okay, Dad. Come on, Zoe." However, when they left the throne room, Sandra whispered, "Come on, Zoe, let's eavesdrop!" She knelt down in front of the keyhole and pulled her sister close. "Be really quiet and we'll hear everything," she told her.

"Eavesdropping again, Princess Sandra?" they heard a voice behind them.

Sandra looked up. There, with a knowing look on his face, was Nigel, the castle steward. "I'm not dropping any eaves, I'm taking Zoe to her room!" she smiled innocently. "And what's the matter; I can't give my favorite sister a hug?"

"And now you're teaching your sister your bad habits?" Nigel tried to look disapproving, but he knew that Sandra was always helping around the castle, and she tried to give Zoe pointers on what was expected of her, so he couldn't stay too mad.

"Nigel, as much as I want to hear you talk about setting a good example for Zoe, _which_ _I try to do anyway_ , I want to know what's going on," Sandra said as she listened at the keyhole.

"Zeke's not going to be a prince for six months?" Zoe whispered to Sandra as they slipped away when they heard footsteps approach the door two minutes later.

"His title was suspended for that long, and it starts after his suspension from school and week-long detention are completed," Sandra whispered back when they arrived at Zoe's room.

"But can Daddy really do that?" Zoe asked as Sandra helped her get ready for bed.

"I think so," Sandra murmured as they heard someone enter the room. They looked up, and saw her cat Ambre.

"What do you think Daddy can do?" Ambre asked as he curled up on Zoe's bed. Both girls had necklaces and pendants that let them talk to and understand animals.

"You're not going to believe this, bud," Sandra said as she and Zoe filled him in on what had happened. Sandra started stroking his back as she continued, "Anyway, like I was about to say, Mom and Dad always taught me and Zeke that a king or queen shouldn't make threats unless they're willing and able to fulfill them. And since Dad's the king of Orillia, he can suspend anyone's Orillian nobility as a punishment for crimes against other nobles, and the same goes for members of the royal family."

"And the mystery person was a prince too," Ambre agreed.

A few days later, Deidre was in the hallway at Royal Prep, giving Sofia a hard time yet again about being a commoner, when they were interrupted by a cry of "Little help here, please!" Her boyfriend's sister was coming toward them, loaded with books, and trying to balance her fencing foil at the same time, but everything fell out of her hands.

"Sandra!" Sofia went to help her pick up the books and fencing foil.

"Thanks, Sofia. I was just coming from the children's wing to get Zoe's homework after fencing practice let out," Sandra smiled as Sofia helped her pick everything up.

"Any time. I saw you at your match against the squire from Westlocke, and you were great!" Sofia said as she handed her the fencing foil.

"If you can be the first girl on the flying derby team, I can be the first girl in a fencing club," Sandra grinned as she gave Sofia a salute with her blade.

"I wish I was as good as you," Sofia admitted.

"I wouldn't say I'm _that_ good, but why don't we get together after your flying derby practice? The knights and I can give you some pointers," Sandra suggested.

"Sandy, how can you talk to that filthy commoner like that?" Deidre asked.

"First, only my friends call me that," Sandra started, nodding toward Sofia. She tuned back to Deidre as she continued, "And you aren't one of them."

She smiled as Sofia whispered, "Thanks! And it's Sof to you, Sandy."

Sandra nodded as she continued, "Second, just because Sofia comes from different origins than you, you think this gives you the right to look down on her? Third, Sofia joined Weapons Proficiency a few weeks ago, and it's no problem for me to help her."

"Who needs help from filthy commoners anyway?" Deidre snapped.

"One of these days, Deidre, _you're_ going to need non-royal help," Sandra said in disgust as she went to put her fencing foil away.

"That will never happen," Deidre scoffed as she walked away.

However, that night when Deidre and her family were in their royal carriage, having finished some business in town, Sandra's prediction came to pass. The royal family was involved in a carriage accident, and Deidre was taken to the town hospital in serious condition.

 **Author's Notes**

 **This is like a deleted scene from chapter six of The Secret Love Song**

 **Nigel, the castle steward of Orillia, is not to be confused with Baileywick's brother**

 **Princess Deidre belongs to Niagara14301**

 **Sandra's joke about eavesdropping was taken from the first Lord of the Rings movie**

 **The conversation about Ezekiel getting his title suspended was based on chapter 4 of Luiz4200's Once Upon Two Princesses**


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Miss Flora, Miss Fauna, and Miss Merryweather called everyone to the auditorium. They told them about the accident, but didn't tell the students who had been injured, since they knew that not all the students had a friendly attitude toward Deidre. Instead, they just said that a fellow student had been badly injured in an accident, and was in the hospital. She was in need of blood, so an after-school blood drive had been organized, and everyone was encouraged to donate.

"Dad actually took me and Amber with him a few times when there were blood drives in the village," James recalled.

"Really? When was this?" Sofia asked, wondering if she'd seen them when she and Miranda went out on deliveries to customers or had to do shopping.

"This was before our mother died," James replied. "Amber and I were too young to donate, so Dad had us wait at the cookie table."

"Oh yes, Daddy gave blood, and James and I got cookies," Amber rolled her eyes.

"It's a win-win!" James joked, but his smile faded when he saw Amber's expression turn from fake boredom to genuine terror. "Amber, are you okay?" he asked.

"I know doing this is important to whoever needs it, but you know how I am about doing something like that!" Amber shuddered.

"I know, Amber. So why don't you go home if you're not comfortable with this? Sof and I'll be home when we're done donating," James suggested.

"Thank you! But I'll wait in the coach for you," Amber sighed with relief as she practically ran out the door. "Take as much time as you need."

"Why won't Amber give blood? Does she get squeamish?" Sofia asked.

"No…well _yes_ actually, but according to Baileywick, she's also got really bad trypanophobia," James explained.

"Try-pan-o-phobia?" Sofia echoed, having never heard of such a fear before, and wondering what Amber could be afraid of.

"We both know doing something like this is important, but Amber's been scared of needles ever since we were little," James explained. He couldn't help grinning as he added, "And to tell you the truth, Sof, I'm surprised she didn't run off screaming bloody murder when Miss Flora first mentioned the blood drive, pun intended!"

"She's scared of needles? Then how did she get shots if she needed them?" Sofia asked.

"Very carefully!" James joked, but he turned serious. "And it also helped to have me take her tiara and hand it to Dad or Baileywick to have her focus on it. And before you state the obvious fact that she has pierced ears, she was listening to one of Mom's songs as they put the earrings in."

When it was his turn, the attending nurse, a middle-aged woman, smiled as she recognized him. "You're King Roland's son? He used to bring you and your sister here for blood drives, and now you're following in his footsteps! I'm training my daughter to do this job too!" She motioned toward the student nurse who was observing, and helping with the prep.

"Like mother like daughter," the girl smiled. "I'm Nicole."

"Like father like son. I'm James," James replied as the nurse poked at his arm. He looked at her name tag and added, "And I'll tell him you and Nurse Amy said hello." He and Amy made some small talk, catching up on old times as she checked his arms for a vein. Amy smiled over at Sofia when James mentioned that he had a new sister, and Sofia gave her a little wave with her free hand as another doctor examined her other arm.

"There's a really good vein here, but it's next to a tendon. We have to be careful," Amy explained as she picked up a needle. She smiled as James tilted his head toward the radio on a separate table, under the guise of watching Sofia, who met his gaze and smiled back, but then he looked straight up at the ceiling as the nurse came at her with the needle. He was all right with needles and the sight of blood, but he had never liked to watch as the needle was put in. She smiled as she saw him mouthing along with the song that was playing. She knew that James had always loved music, but she didn't know about his self-imposed exile from singing after his mother died.

When James and Sofia were finished with the time they had to wait, they decided to check on their horses before their flying derby practice, and maybe go for a quick ride. They nodded to Hugo, who had come up to them, probably with the same idea. They all smiled and had the same thought of alternates needed to practice and check on the horses too!

However, Sir Gilliam intercepted them. "I have something to tell you today, everyone," he said as he blocked their way to the stables. "I know that the three of you were at the blood drive, and I'm proud of you for that. But flying derby practice is cancelled for today."

"Why?" Sofia asked. "We just wanted to check the horses."

"I didn't know there was flying derby practice today," James added, "But why can't we ride?"

"My dad told me about something like this when he was on the team," Hugo spoke up before Sir Gilliam could reply. "It's not a good idea to fly after you donate blood because you get really tired. In fact, he told me about someone on the team who did that when he was at school. He got so tired that he fell off his horse as he was taking off. He just got a broken leg, but Miss Flora said he was lucky that it wasn't worse. And since then, that's been a safety precaution on the team: Don't fly after donating blood."

"I'm just glad that my wrist wasn't as bad as that. It only kept me out for two weeks. An injury like the one that rider suffered can take you out for a long time," James murmured as he unconsciously rubbed his wrist, even though it had healed a long time ago.

"Yeah. My dad said he was out for at least half the season," Hugo said as their coaches came to take them home. "And I know I got a little dizzy today after donating, but I just sat up too fast when I was done with my 15-minute wait time, so I had to stay a few extra minutes. However, I am glad there's no practice today so we can rest."

"But the blood drive was only mentioned today. How could our parents know about this?" Sofia asked.

"The fairies knew enough to cover any questions," Sir Gilliam explained. "They made sure to tell all your parents about the blood drive this morning, so they'll know about this."

"Thanks for telling us about this too, Sir Gilliam," Sofia agreed, James and Hugo nodding at her side.

As they watched Hugo climb aboard his own coach, James and Sofia met Amber in theirs, and they all went home, all wondering if the person who had been injured would be all right, and if their blood could help them.

 **Author's Notes**

 **James' memory about his sprained wrist is from The Flying Crown**

 **Nicole and Nurse Amy are my own characters**

 **I apologize about all the bad jokes!**


	3. Chapter 3

When the kids got back to the castle, James and Sofia were already feeling exhausted, despite the driver stopping at a sandwich shop in the village to get them a quick snack, since he suggested that they eat something more filling and a little saltier than juice, crackers, and cookies; he had donated blood before so he knew some tricks of the trade. Amber had also joined them in a snack; she hadn't been able to eat a lot since the blood drive was mentioned.

Sofia was happy to get to her bed. She had just fallen onto it when Clover hopped over to her. "Hey, Sof, are you okay? I thought we were going to do a little after-flying-derby cuddle-time."

"Flying derby was cancelled today, but as Gwen puts it, Clover, how about we multitask?" Sofia asked softly. "Let's combine cuddle time with nap time…"

"Two of my favorite things," Clover grinned as he cuddled up with her.

At that moment, Roland and Miranda came up. They didn't hear the conversation, but they did see Clover snuggle up with Sofia. As Sofia drifted off to sleep, Miranda quietly entered Sofia's room. She put a blanket over her and Clover, and whispered to the rabbit as she stroked him, "I know you probably can't understand me the way you can with Sofia, but take care of her while Roland and I check on James." She thought Clover opened one eye in a wink to her request, but Miranda thought she'd imagined it.

Meanwhile, Roland had just poked his head in James' door to check on him. He smiled as he heard a soft voice singing with some music.

 _I've been walkin' these streets so long  
Singin' the same old song  
I know every crack in these dirty sidewalks of Broadway  
Where hustle's the name of the game  
And nice guys get washed away like the snow and the rain  
There's been a load of compromisin'  
On the road to my horizon  
But I'm gonna be where the lights are shinin' on me_

 _Like a rhinestone cowboy_  
 _Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo_  
 _Like a rhinestone cowboy_  
 _Getting cards and letters from people I don't even know_  
 _And offers comin' over the phone_

Roland smiled at the scene. James was lying on his bed, almost asleep, and he was singing with the song that was playing on his radio. "Amber! Miranda!" he whispered, beckoning them over.

 _Well, I really don't mind the rain  
And a smile can hide all the pain  
But you're down when you're ridin' the train that's takin' the long way_

"Isn't that cute?" Miranda smiled as she watched James singing himself to sleep.

 _And I dream of the things I'll do  
With a subway token and a dollar tucked inside my shoe  
There'll be a load of compromisin'  
On the road to my horizon  
But I'm gonna be where the lights are shinin' on me_

"Amber, do you remember this?" Roland asked.

"Should I, Daddy?" Amber asked as she listened to James singing.

 _Like a rhinestone cowboy  
Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo  
Rhinestone cowboy  
Gettin' cards and letters from people I don't even know  
And offers comin' over the phone_

"When you and James were younger, your mother would sing you to sleep every night," Roland remembered.

"Of course! Then when James was older, he'd hum and sing himself to sleep. That led Mother to start teaching him music and he always sang with her." Amber agreed. Her smile widened as she added, "And I never get tired of saying this: I'm so happy he's singing with his door open again!"

"As am I, Amber," Roland smiled as James finished the song.

 _Like a rhinestone cowboy  
Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo  
Rhinestone cowboy  
Gettin' cards and letters from people I don't even know_

They thought that James would fall asleep after that song, but they heard him start singing another song. However, they noticed that his voice was getting softer.

 _Nobody saw him running  
From 16th Avenue  
They never found the fingerprints  
Or the weapon that was used  
But someone killed country music  
Cut out its heart and soul  
They got away with murder  
Down on music row_

"James! Go to sleep!" Roland couldn't help but laugh as he listened to him. "The music will still be here when you wake up!"

 _The almighty dollar  
And the lust for worldwide fame  
Slowly killed tradition  
And for that, someone should hang _

_"Ahh, you tell 'em, James,"_ Roland said good-naturedly, having gotten into the song himself.

James sang softly, _They all say "Not Guilty!"  
But the evidence will show  
That murder was committed  
Down on music row_

Roland joined him on the chorus as he started patting his shoulder in time to the music, _For the steel guitars no longer cry  
And the fiddles barely play  
But drums and rock 'n' roll guitars  
Are mixed up in your face  
Ol' Hank wouldn't have a chance  
On today's radio  
Since they committed murder  
Down on music row_

James finally did fall asleep, but Roland took over since he was enjoying the song.  
 _They thought no one would miss it  
Once it was dead and gone  
They said no one would buy them ol'  
Drinkin' and cheatin' songs _

_"Oh, but I still buy 'em,"_ Miranda admitted, tucking the blanket around James.

Amber joined in, _Well there ain't no justice in it  
And the hard facts are cold  
Murder's been committed  
Down on music row_

Meanwhile, Roland and Miranda joined her, _For the steel guitars no longer cry  
And you can't hear fiddles play  
With drums and rock 'n' roll guitars  
Mixed right up in your face_

Amber took a quick solo, _Why the Hag, he wouldn't have a chance  
On today's radio_

Roland and Miranda joined in again, _Since they committed murder  
Down on music row_

Roland finished the song, _Why they even tell the Possum  
To pack up and go back home  
There's been an awful murder  
Down on music row"_

James unconsciously squeezed Roland's hand as thanks for finishing the song, and Roland tousled his hair. He also murmured in his sleep, "Nurse Amy said hello."

"She's still working as a blood drive nurse?" Roland looked surprised. He explained to Miranda, "Nurse Amy was in charge of blood drives in Royal Prep, or in the village. She started when my father was the king. She was very nice, and she always watched James and Amber when I was donating blood. Since Amber's terrified of needles, she always made sure she looked at something else when they put the needle in my arm."

"I remember that," Amber nodded, recalling that Amy was a great artist and always let her look at pictures she'd drawn.

"That's nice, and it's wonderful that she remembered James," Miranda smiled. "But will he be all right?"

"He and Sofia will be tired for a while, but they'll be fine," Roland smiled as he watched James sleeping, and heard another song start. "The same thing happened when he was younger," he recalled as he turned the volume down. "He'd be asleep, and he'd wake up the second he heard music. It took a long time for him to settle down after that."

"I remember," Miranda smiled. She and the family had been listening to music, and since James was all right with humming in public instead of singing, he was humming along with the music as he fell asleep on Roland's lap after a long day of helping everyone. She also couldn't count the number of times she'd seen him sleeping in the sitting room and hearing music still playing after it had lulled him to sleep.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, the doctors had found a match for Deidre's blood type, and hooked her up to an IV to start the transfusion.

She woke up later that evening, and she was actually feeling better. "The transfusion was a success. You're going to be just fine," her mother said to her.

"Whose blood was it?" Deidre asked.

"A princess with the same type of blood as yours," her father replied. "Princess Sofia of Enchancia."

Deidre gasped. This couldn't be happening. Not to her! She was royalty, but as the information sank in, she whispered, "I have… _commoner_ blood?" She heard Sandra's voice in her head again: _'One day you'll need non-royal help.'_ She waited until her parents had left the room for a minute, then she screamed into her pillow. "NOOOOOO!"

Suddenly, she heard someone enter the room. There in the doorway was none other than the princess whose blood now ran in her veins.

"Are you all right, Deidre? I heard you scream all the way from the nurse's station," Sofia said as she came in.

Deidre frowned, but she tried to keep a proper attitude. "Thank you for your concern, Princess Sofia, but I'll be quite all right," she paused. "I suppose I should thank you for donating your blood. It was a match to mine."

"I'm glad I was able to help, and I hope you feel better soon," Sofia smiled as she fluffed her pillow and placed a vase of flowers on her dresser.

Deidre settled back as she asked, "So…what exactly can I expect now that I have commoner blood in my veins?"

Sofia smirked. "Well…you'll get a taste for simple, common food, and I'll give your mother some of my favorite recipes…and you'll get an urge to shop in the cheaper stores in the market!" She laughed at the horrified look on Deidre's face, adding, "Hey, I'm just kidding! You'll be the same Princess Deidre you've always been!" She added mentally, _'Although I don't know if that's good or bad!'_

Deidre turned away, not amused at Sofia's attempt at humor, but was secretly relieved that Sofia's blood had not changed her.

However, later that night, she had another visitor. A nurse came in to check her vital signs, and they started a conversation.

The nurse left a few minutes later, and in a puff of smoke, turned into the evil fairy Miss Nettle.

 **Author's Notes**

 **Glenn Campbell's Rhinestone Cowboy is not mine.**

 **Alan Jackson and George Strait's Murder on Music Row is also not mine. First, thanks to Sofia2015 for suggesting this song. Second, I don't know if this will go in my Do You Want to Sing Together series yet, but check out my Criminal Minds story Murder on Music Row.**

 **Thanks to Niagara14301 for helping with some of the details.**

 **What's Miss Nettle doing here? And what are her plans for Deidre?**


	4. Chapter 4

The next evening, when Deidre had been discharged from the hospital, she wasn't in her room at her castle. Instead, she was standing outside Sofia's door. She was still fuming over Sofia's attempts at humor, and wanted to get even with her. She thought back to the conversation she had with the nurse.

 _Flashback_

 _"How dare that filthy commoner try to make jokes about this? I'm royalty and always will be, unlike her!" Deidre thought out loud when Sofia was out of earshot._

 _"I feel your pain, my dear," the nurse smiled sympathetically, "I've had my own share of trouble from Princess Sofia."_

 _"Really?" Deidre asked as her blood pressure was taken. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"_

 _"I only tried to take a spellbook I wanted, but then I saw that very pretty, and powerful, amulet she wears. I tried to take it for myself, but she stopped me at every turn," the nurse sighed as she checked her pulse._

 _"I hope you don't mind me interrupting, but have we met?" Deidre asked. "You sound so familiar."_

 _The nurse smiled. "Indeed we have. I taught a class at Royal Prep," she waved a hand over her head, transforming into a pretty red-haired woman. "I recognize you from my Enchanted Gardening class. Princess Deidre, isn't it?"_

 _"Miss Natalia!" Deidre smiled for the first time in a while._

 _"Yes, that was the name I used. My real name is Miss Nettle. Anyone who's good with wordplay might get the connection immediately, but nobody knew who I really am," Miss Nettle said as she turned into her true form. She was also happy that Sofia hadn't been in the class, otherwise she would have been kicked out right away._

 _"So what can I do to help you?" Deidre asked._

 _"What you can do for me, my dear Deidre," Miss Nettle smirked, "Is help me to get the Amulet of Avalor from Princess Sofia. The headmistresses of Royal Prep didn't trust me to let me learn all the magic in their spellbooks, so they forced me out. However, I was lucky enough to discover a substitute source of magic."_

 _"So that's what that necklace of hers is!" Deidre gasped. "I've seen it in a book of enchanted jewels, but I never knew what it was called or what it could do."_

 _"Yes it is," Miss Nettle nodded. "It will help me to become the most powerful fairy in the world."_

 _"You can count on me," Deidre assured her, "Just send me to Sofia's castle, and I'll get the amulet for you."_

 _End Flashback_

As Deidre recalled everything, she had a sudden idea. "I want to help Miss Natalia, or should I say Nettle, but if the headmistresses didn't trust her, then maybe I shouldn't either," Her eyes widened as a new thought came to her. "I know…I'll take the amulet for myself. I'll get even with Princess Sofia, and become the most powerful princess ever."

Deidre stole into Sofia's bedroom. She watched Sofia sleeping for a minute, but wasn't thinking about how cute she looked, as Miranda had when she had Clover snuggled up to her after she'd donated blood. She was glad that Sofia was a heavy sleeper, and reached for the amulet.

Almost immediately, the amulet flashed a dark purple, almost black color, and as Deidre jerked her hand back in alarm, she looked around. Nothing was moving, except for her. She shook her head. "What is going on?"

"You don't want to do this," a female voice sounded behind her.

Deidre turned around. There in front of her was a woman wearing the strangest looking gown she'd ever seen. One side was black, and the other side was white. It was the same for her hair. "Don't tell me what I want! I want revenge on Princess Sofia! She gave me common blood!"

"Sofia saved your life and this is how you repay her? You're almost as evil as my sister, and that's saying something!" the woman continued.

"I don't even know who you are. Why are you here?" Deidre challenged her.

The woman bowed her head. "My name is Queen Evonne of the kingdom of Negtella. You won't know this kingdom because it exists in a different dimension. My sister Ivy had the same idea as you, to conquer our kingdom, and she was sent into exile." She then went on to reveal that Amber had the same intentions as Deidre, to use Sofia's amulet. Ivy had been summoned, and had almost destroyed Enchancia.

"But I don't want to destroy Enchancia; I just want to get revenge on Princess Sofia," Deidre tried to explain.

"Revenge will cause you nothing but problems," Evonne pointed out. "An outsider stealing a possession from a royal is a capital crime. You'll be put behind bars for a long time. Is that the price you want to pay for a moment's worth of satisfaction?"

Deidre didn't want to admit that Queen Evonne might be right. "You might be right…but I think I'll take that chance!" she barked as she lunged toward the sleeping Sofia.

However, before Deidre could go any farther, a puff of smoke appeared before her. Out of the smoke walked Dorrie, one of the maids at the castle, and a very good friend to Sofia, with her wand drawn.

"Don't even _think_ of harming Princess Sofia!" Dorrie said as she aimed her wand at Deidre.

"One commoner helping another," Deidre smirked. "I'll take care of you first, and by the time I'm through with you, you won't remember what hit you!"

"Interesting choice of words, Princess Deidre," Dorrie started. "I could say the same to you. In fact, I think I will! _Obliviate_!" She added silently, _'And I'm so glad Prince James is as good with words as he is!'_

In a few moments, the memories of Sofia's amulet, what it could do, and why she was in Sofia's room in the first place, disappeared from Deidre's mind. "What am I doing here?" she asked Dorrie, puzzled.

"You said earlier that you wanted to thank Princess Sofia for donating blood to you," Dorrie answered. "You came later, saw she was sleeping, and you decided to come back another time. You might want to leave now before the guards come."

"Yeah, that must be it…" Deidre responded, confused and still trying to get her bearings. She then left the room.

' _Whoa!'_ Dorrie thought to herself. _'That was a close call. Thank goodness Sofia can sleep through everything! And I'd best keep what just happened to myself. There's no need to tell Sofia that she was almost threatened.'_

"Indeed, young witchlet. Nicely done," Evonne smiled at Dorrie as she heard her thoughts. Evonne blew the sleeping Sofia a kiss, then disappeared into thin air. However, when the dark glow faded, Sofia just turned over in her sleep as if nothing had happened.

Outside the castle, Miss Nettle knew what had happened. When Deidre came up to her, she said, "I understand that you failed to get the amulet. I'll let it slide this time, Deidre; nobody expected Princess Sofia to be guarded so well."

"I won't fail you again, Miss Nettle," Deidre promised, "but how can you get the amulet now?"

"Don't worry, dear Deidre," Miss Nettle cooed, "I have another plan, but I'm going to need your help once more…"

 **Author's Notes**

 **Thanks to Niagara14301 for helping with some of the details in this chapter, and for letting me use their famous character Dorrie, as well as the character Queen Evonne of Negtella from their story Enchancia Castle.**

 **Dorrie would know about James being great with words and creative writing due to the fact that she got to be in one of his stories, thanks to the events of my story The Enchancian Canine Caper.**

 **Miss Nettle's memories of the spellbook she wanted came from Make Way for Miss Nettle.**

 **Obliviate is from Harry Potter**

 **Witchlet is Niagara14301's term for a young child witch in the process of being trained as a witch**

 **An unknown power the amulet has (at least unknown to Sofia) is the ability to stop time around anyone who wants to steal it. The amulet will give off a flash of purple or black light, instead of the usual pink, purple, or blue, and everyone in the area will be frozen.**


	5. Chapter 5

A few days after the accident, and after Deidre's encounter with Queen Evonne, and following her complete recovery, she and her family asked some of the neighboring kingdoms to come to Orillia Castle for a celebration. This was also going to be a combination party and Knights Lunch. The event would have taken place at Hythoria Castle, but some of the rooms were being redecorated. And besides, Deidre wanted to be close to Ezekiel.

When Sofia and her family arrived, they were surprised to see Ezekiel working as a servant. Sofia, James, and Amber nodded, recalling that Sandra had told them in private that after Ezekiel's suspension and detention after ruining James' first "Secret Singer" performance, his title as Prince of Orillia had been suspended for six months, and he was sentenced to work as a servant.

Sofia and her family were greeted by Ambre, who had padded up to them and said, "Hello!" but to those who didn't have amulets or badges that let them understand animals, they just heard a meow.

Sandra came up to collect him just as Roland sneezed. "Sorry about that, Your Majesty," she apologized as she picked Ambre up. "Come here, buddy, who's a good kitty?" she crooned softly. "Come on, let's go upstairs."

"He's faking it," Ambre protested as he tried to squirm out of Sandra's arms.

Sandra nodded, and as she carried him out of the room, Sofia heard her whisper, "Yes, Ambre, I know; like with Zeke, it's all in his head, but for the moment we humor him."

"Why would Sandra say that Dad's allergies are all in his head?" Sofia wondered.

"She loves cats. She says she always wanted one, but Ezekiel has allergies too," Amber explained. "She says that he only wants attention and the allergies are all in his head."

"So why do they have a cat?" Sofia asked.

"The cat adopted her and wouldn't leave her side," James explained.

"Are you all right, Daddy?" Amber asked before Sandra came back.

"I'll be fine," Roland assured her.

When everyone was seated, King Robert brought in a tall blonde woman. "Everyone, this is Miss Natalia, our magical entertainment for tonight."

"Miss Natalia? Wasn't she the Enchanted Gardening professor at Royal Prep?" James asked. He and Sofia were members of Royal Prep's after school gardening club, but the fairies were in charge of that, and neither of them had known about a different class that taught the subject.

"It's so nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy my flowery magic," Miss Natalia smiled. "And I'd like to introduce you to my assistant, Delia." Deidre smiled and took a bow as she stepped out in a disguise.

"Miss Natalia? Why does that name sound familiar?" Sofia wondered. She then gasped. "Oh, no. Not again!" She still couldn't help thinking, _'Could you be any more obvious?'_

"Delia?" James muttered, recognizing Deidre right away through her disguise. _'Come on, Deidre, you can make up a better name than that!'_

"Greetings, everyone," Miss Natalia bowed to the room. "Lords of earth and wind and light, bring my spell to life this night. Where these scattered petals lie, let an enchanted garden rise!"

James turned serious now. "I know that spell!" he gasped as a huge hedge of flowers started growing.

"What are all these plants?" Sofia asked.

"Oh no. This is Wheezing Wisteria…Sandra, are you okay?" Amber asked, recognizing some of the flowers that were near them, then she saw that Sandra had a hand on her chest.

Sandra looked like she was having trouble breathing. "You know how I am about flowers, Amber," she panted.

"Oh, that's right," Amber recalled. "I was actually in an Enchanted Gardening class with Sandra. It wasn't like the after-school gardening club you and James are in." she added, hearing Sofia whisper that she thought her sister hated gardening. "This was a combination of gardening and flower arranging. Sandra had so much trouble breathing that she had to quit the class. She's not allergic to flowers, but she can't tolerate them since their smells tend to be overpowering. And it wasn't with just Wheezing Wisteria. It was everything. The flowers were too much for her."

"Let's get her out of here!" Sofia said as she and Amber helped her up. "I'm sorry, everyone; we'll be right back!" she added, pausing long enough for Sandra to gasp out, "Sorry, Mom and Dad!" James was right behind them, having followed them out of concern. He had experience with enchanted gardening as well, and wanted to see if there was anything he could do to help. They left not a moment too soon. Vines grew over the door, blocking their way back in.

"Thanks, everybody. We need to get to my room. Fast!" Sandra said as she led the way out. Sofia, James, and Amber noticed that she was holding a hand over her nose and mouth since the smell was so strong. They actually followed her idea when Sofia started to complain of a headache.

Ambre was waiting for them on the bed. "Sandra! Are you okay?" he asked as he padded up to them.

"Finally, I can breathe again!" Sandra sighed with relief as she closed the door, then she introduced him to her friends. "I'm okay now, buddy. Everyone, this is Ambre, but I think you met him when you first came here."

"Hi, Ambre," Sofia smiled as she stroked him.

"His name almost sounds like my name," Amber added.

"His name used to be Amber, since I thought he was a girl, but the royal vet proved me wrong," Sandra explained.

"What do we do now?" James asked.

"We find the knights. I'm not scheduled to take Strategic Planning for a year or so yet, but hopefully they'll know what to do. I saw some of your knights with them as well, so maybe they'll have ideas when they're done swapping stories," Sandra suggested.

"Yeah. I know Sir Finnegan might have some good ideas," James spoke up.

"Sir Avery might too," Sandra agreed. When she saw James' look of surprise, she continued. "Didn't I tell you? Sir Avery made me his squiress, or female squire, since I spend so much time with him. You know I have private fencing lessons with the knights, and Zeke used to be Sir Steven's squire; he's our kingdom's second most decorated senior knight. But with his title being suspended, Sir Steven offered to let me fill in for him. I said no, but I'd help him in any other way I could. At the same time, I got the same offer from Sir Avery."

"What's he like?" James asked.

"Not only is he one of our newer knights, but he's also our Royal Scribe. I guess you could say I was his squiress already, since I'm always helping him with working on scrolls, decrees, royal documents, and things like that, so that's another way I help him," Sandra replied, then she suggested, "We can also try sneaking into Zeke's room and we'll borrow one of his books. I know he had Strategic Planning last year."

"Let's call sneaking into his room Plan B," Sofia said dryly.

However, they found that the door had been sealed shut with vines. "How can we get out now?" Amber asked after Sandra tried to use her fencing foil to cut the vines but found it useless.

At that moment, Sofia's amulet glowed. "Like this, and we get some help from a friend!" she smiled as a blonde woman in a light blue dress appeared.

"Hello, Sofia. And to your friends as well," the lady greeted them.

"Queen Elsa!" Sofia cheered.

"I don't know how you came to be here, but you're one of my sister's favorite queens," Sandra spoke up, giving her a salute with her fencing foil.

"I'll be sure to say hello to her after I help you," Elsa smiled.

The small group made its way to the dining hall. Elsa used her ice powers to freeze the plants around them so they could breathe.

When they arrived at the dining hall, they saw that just about everyone had been encased in nets made of thick green vines. They heard wheezing and gasping from the people trapped within. Only three people in the room were still free: Miss Nettle, Deidre…and Ezekiel.

"Zeke, is this for me ratting you out to Miss Flora when you thought I was Axel?" Sandra murmured. She told Sofia, James, and Amber about how she had been mistaken for Axel, and how early in the morning of the singing contest, she, Hugo, and Axel had gone to Miss Flora and told her everything (except how Sandra had gotten the information).

Suddenly, they heard a cry of "Sandra!"

"Zoe!" Sandra carefully made her way over to her sister, who was crying and gasping for air as Wheezing Wisteria pollen sprayed her, making it hard for her to breathe. "Queen Elsa, can you please get my sister out of here?" she asked, gasping for breath herself as some of the pollen hit her.

"Of course," Elsa smiled. She waved a hand over the net Zoe was trapped in, and she fell out when the vines froze and shattered.

"Sandra!" Zoe cheered as she ran over and hugged her. She then gasped in excitement. "Elsa!"

"Zoe, go with Queen Elsa. She'll take care of you," Sandra said as she released her and they found themselves able to breathe again.

"Of course I will, but all of you need to find a way to defeat Miss Nettle," Elsa said as she drew Zoe to her side and vanished with her in a flurry of snowflakes.

Deidre turned away from Ezekiel and glared at the group. "I know I should start with you first, Sofia, but Sandra, you ruined everything!"

"If by ruined everything you mean I helped save the talent show, then yes I did," Sandra said coldly.

"Why was James acting all shy about singing anyway?" Deidre asked.

"I have my own reasons, but I'm singing now," James snapped.

"And every person who sings sounds better than you," Ezekiel repeated what he said when he and Deidre had chased James after unmasking him.

"Zeke, don't waste your time on them," Deidre scoffed. "It's Sofia Miss Nettle wants."

"Everyone get together with me!" Sofia shouted as Ezekiel and Deidre advanced. When Sandra, James, and Amber were gathered around her, Sofia clutched her amulet and shouted, "I wish us to be transported back to Sandra's room!"

They disappeared in a bright blue flash of light, just as Miss Nettle fired more Wheezing Wisteria plants at them.

 **Author's Notes**

 **Thanks to Niagara14301 for helping on some of the details in this story.**

 **Amber would know about Roland's allergies to cats due to the events of When You Wish Upon a Well.**

 **Queen Elsa is from Frozen**

 **Sir Steven and Sir Avery are my own creations.**

 **Some of the memories were taken from chapter 5 of The Secret Love Song, with Sandra being mistaken for Axel and learning about Ezekiel and Deidre's plans to ruin the singing contest.**

 **The amulet's ability to transport people from one place to another is from The Secret Library.**

 **The spell to make the flowers grow was from The Enchanted Feast.**


	6. Chapter 6

As they re-appeared in Sandra's room, Sofia couldn't help but think about everything that had just happened.

 _Sofia's flashback_

 _When Sofia, Amber, James, and Sandra left the room, Miss Nettle dropped her disguise, to the astonishment of everyone in the room. She smiled as she watched everyone getting tangled up in Wheezing Wisteria vines. However, she asked Ezekiel if he could go near Deidre before the vines got too close to him, since Deidre had asked her beforehand to spare her boyfriend._

 _Ezekiel walked over to Deidre and took her hand. "Dee, what's going on here? Who is this?" he asked._

 _"I'll explain everything in a moment, Zeke," Deidre assured him._

 _"The two of you may leave through the door on your side of the room," Miss Nettle told Deidre and Ezekiel. "A reward for helping me to get this far." She gave Ezekiel an approving glance. "And you've got yourself a keeper there, Deidre."_

 _"I do, don't I? Pleasure doing business with you, Miss Nettle," Deidre smiled._

 _Deidre and Ezekiel quickly ran through the door as everyone being tangled up in the Wheezing Wisteria vines watched in shock. Through the door on the opposite side of the room, Sofia, Amber, James, and Sandra saw what had happened as they peeked through the door. Sofia transported everyone to Sandra's room before they were spotted._

 _End Sofia's flashback_

"I'm sorry to interrupt your thoughts, Sof, but what's the plan now?" Sandra asked.

"I don't know, but I am glad Zoe's safe," Sofia replied.

"Yes she is," Elsa said as she and Zoe emerged. "She insisted on coming with me to make sure you were okay."

"Zoe, please, if we go out again, stay here, or in your own room! I want you to be safe. You know how bad it was when you were in that net," Sandra said to her.

"Okay," Zoe nodded as she pointed Elsa toward her room.

As they left, Sofia looked worried. "I want us to get out of this all right, but what can we do?" Suddenly, she noticed that her amulet was glowing again. "Guys, I think we're going to get some more help!" She smiled as a blonde woman in a red skintight outfit and mask appeared.

James, Amber, and Sandra cautiously turned around. Ambre ducked under Sandra's dresser. However, they shouldn't have worried. Standing behind them was none other than the Scarlet Warrior herself, who was also the Queen of the kingdom of Cinnibar. She smiled as Sandra raised her fencing foil in a salute, and said, "Hello, Sofia. And hello to you too, Prince James and Princess Amber. At ease, Princess Sandra. You too, little one," she added, addressing Ambre as if he was an equal when she saw the cat poke his head out, "I had a feeling that the four of you were in trouble, and it's a good thing I came here."

"It's good to see you again," Amber smiled, James nodding at her side.

"How did you know how to come here?" Sandra asked as she put her blade at her side again, then picked Ambre up and petted him to comfort him as he crawled out.

"Sofia's amulet summoned me," Scarlet explained. "I created the Amulet of Avalor, and I often come check on her and her family, as I'm also the eyes and ears of Enchancia."

"And the amulet must be how Queen Elsa knew how to come here," Sandra observed.

"That's right. As Cinderella told me, the amulet connects all the princesses who ever were. And Sandra, what my amulet can do is supposed to be a secret," Sofia told her, recalling that Amber had found out about what the amulet could do, stolen it, and unknowingly unleashed a curse on Enchancia in the form of Princess Ivy, but thanks to Ivy's dragonflies, neither Amber nor James remembered that.

"What happens in this room stays in this room," Sandra assured her, "I won't tell anyone about this, so don't worry about it. Besides, I have my own necklace. Sure, it just lets me talk to animals, but that's good enough for me."

"And Sofia, you can trust Sandra to keep your secret," Amber agreed. "When she tells you not to worry that she won't tell anyone something, you can trust her."

"We'll keep your secret too, Sof," James promised, Amber nodding at his side.

"But how are we going to get out of here? The vines are too strong to cut through," Sofia added.

"Like this. We'll go, but the cat can stay here where it's safer," Scarlet replied. She smiled as Ambre curled up on the bed for a nap, then gathered everyone around her, and clapped her hands. The group vanished in a puff of smoke. When they reappeared outside the door, Scarlet saw Sandra put her hands over her nose and mouth, since the smells were getting stronger. "Oh, that's right; you've got that sensitivity to flowers," she mused. "If you'll take your hands down for a minute, I've got just the spell for you, and our friends as well." She watched as Sandra took a deep breath, then took her hands away from her face. Scarlet waved a hand over Sofia, James, Amber, and Sandra's heads, and chanted, _"Ebublio!"_ She smiled when she saw bubbles form around their heads, giving them a supply of fresh air.

"I always knew you were a bubble head, James," Amber couldn't help teasing him.

"Ha-ha," James gave a sarcastic laugh.

"Amber, James, there's no time for this. We have to get back in there and see if we can help those poor trapped people," Sofia suggested.

"You're quite right, Sofia," Scarlet agreed, "Everybody, be ready for anything. Nettle is a tricky one."

"Do you really think we can get them out of those vines?" Amber asked.

"There's only one way to find out," Scarlet replied.

They had just set foot in the room again, when Ezekiel, Deidre, and Miss Nettle advanced toward them. "Let's see you sing your way out of this, _Secret Singer!"_ Ezekiel smirked as he threw one of Miss Nettle's laughing lilies at James, who jumped back to avoid the pollen. James remembered what had happened last time he'd dealt with those flowers, and he was happy for the bubble protection around his head.

Sofia and Amber did a few ballet moves over the bouncing bluebells Deidre threw at them, while Sandra used the footwork the knights taught her to escape the dancing daisies that surrounded her.

"Fall back!" Scarlet shouted as singing sunflowers started popping up around her.

"You have until sundown to give me your answer!" Miss Nettle called after them.

"What can we do?" Sofia asked as they regrouped outside the dining hall. "I don't want to give up my amulet."

"And you won't have to, because I have an idea," Sandra started. "Sofia, as soon as I cast this spell, tuck your amulet under your blouse, like I do with my necklace."

"Why do you do that anyway?" Amber asked.

Sandra pulled the necklace out, and everyone saw what it looked like. It was a cross inlaid with purple jewels. "Because Zeke comments on everything. I bought this when our grandpa died to remember him by, but I didn't want Zeke to know about it."

"I'm sorry about your grandfather, but what do you plan to do?" Sofia asked.

Sandra took her necklace off, tapped it with her training wand, which she'd taken with her as an added safety precaution, and murmured, _"Neckleotta Duplicatto!"_

Sofia froze as she heard the spell. If there was one spell she was uneasy about, it was a duplication spell. However, she knew that the duplication spell didn't make an exact copy.

Apparently, Sandra knew that as well, because she said to Amber, "Okay; part one's complete. Now Amber, can you help me put the purple necklace back on?" As Amber complied, Sandra tapped the pink-crystal necklace. " _Neckleotta Transformatto!"_ Instantly, the necklace turned into a pink-stoned copy of Sofia's amulet.

"Now we've got you!" Miss Nettle smirked as they came back in and she grabbed the fake amulet.

"And this will stop you!" Deidre added as she started a song.

 _Oh, the Prairie lights are burnin' bright  
The Chinook wind is movin' in  
Tomorrow night I'll be Alberta bound_

When she heard the opening notes, Sandra smirked as she whipped her fencing foil out again. "Deidre, you should not have played that song!"

 _Though I've done the best I could  
My old luck ain't been so good and  
Tomorrow night I'll be Alberta bound_

"Why not? What song is it?" Sofia asked.

 _No one I've met could ever forget  
The Rocky Mountain sunset  
It's a pleasure just to be Alberta bound_

"This song is the one the knights here practice fencing with!" Sandra said as she adopted a fencing position. She glanced at her friends as she threw them some swords. "And if you want to join in the song, feel free!"

 _I long to see my next of kin  
To know what kind of shape they're in  
Tomorrow night I'll be Alberta bound_

 _Alberta bound, Alberta bound  
It's good to be Alberta bound  
Alberta bound, Alberta bound  
It's good to be Alberta bound_

"We have to do something about Miss Nettle! There's no time for singing!" Amber cried.

 _Alberta bound, Alberta bound  
It's good to be Alberta bound  
Alberta bound, Alberta bound  
It's good to be Alberta bound_

"Nettle or no Nettle, there's always time for singing," Sandra smirked.

"Can I borrow that quote?" James asked as he sang with her.

 _Oh, the skyline of Toronto  
Is somethin' you'll get onto  
But they say you've got to live there for a while_

Amber went rigid with horror. She was terrified of needles, but she thought that swords were a hundred times worse, since they reminded her of needles. "Please don't make me use a sword, but you're lucky I like that song!" she blurted out.

 _And if you got the money  
You can get yourself a honey  
A written guarantee to make you smile_

James couldn't help but smirk as he joined in the fight, but he also used his own display of self-taught gymnastics to evade the bouncing bluebells that came his way.

"When in doubt, improvise!" Sandra shouted.

"Now that I can handle!" Amber called as she joined them, but she utilized her ballet moves as she sang, and fluttered her fan at the laughing lilies Miss Nettle threw at her, blowing the pollen back at her attackers. She couldn't help grinning as she watched Ezekiel and Deidre fall laughing to the ground.

Meanwhile, as the song progressed, Miss Nettle found that she was having trouble using the amulet. She got a good look at it, discovered it was fake, and threw it down in disgust.

 _But it's snowin' in the city  
And the streets and brown and gritty  
And I know there's pretty girls all over town_

 _But they never seem to find me  
And the one I left behind me  
Is the reason that I'll be Alberta bound_

As Miss Nettle was being overwhelmed by the attack being carried out by Sofia, Amber, James, and Sandra, she suddenly drew her wand in anger.

 _Alberta bound, Alberta bound  
It's good to be Alberta bound  
Alberta bound, Alberta bound  
It's good to be Alberta bound  
It's good to be Alberta bound_

"Enough of this silly singing! I'll teach the four of you to mess with me!" Miss Nettle shouted as she pointed her wand at the group and made the laughing lilies around Ezekiel and Deidre vanish.

She was suddenly interrupted by a loud crash. As everybody looked up, they noticed that the windows in the room had been smashed. In a few moments, two witches flew into the room on broomsticks. The two witches were ... Dorrie and her twin sister, Candice.

"Surprise!" Dorrie shouted as she and Candice landed.

"Oh, great!" Miss Nettle said in disgust. "The famous Cooper sisters...or is it Cosmarune? I always get that mixed up. No matter, more people to wand!"

"Not so fast!" Candice barked at Miss Nettle. "And now I command, wand to my hand!"

Miss Nettle's wand flew out of her hand and raced over to Candice. "Hey!" Miss Nettle exclaimed in shock.

"I knew that spell would come in handy someday," Candice smiled at Dorrie.

"And now to take care of this room," Dorrie commented as she waved her wand. In a few moments, the Wheezing Wisteria vines disappeared, freeing everybody who had been held by the vines.

"Well, got to go," Miss Nettle said as she quickly flew through the smashed windows. "Ta-ta."

"Let's get out of here!" Deidre yelled as she grabbed Ezekiel's arm. The two ran out of the room as guards entered from the other side of the room.

"After them!" Scarlet directed the guards. The guards then ran after Deidre and Ezekiel.

"You two got here just in time," Amber said to Dorrie and Candice. "But how did you know we were in danger?"

"Scarlet sent us a message," Dorrie answered. "We got on our brooms and flew over here as fast as we could."

"And I loved that song you sang!" Candice smiled as Sofia introduced her and Dorrie to Sandra.

"So what happens now?" Sofia asked.

"Well, let's clean up the room first, then we'll discuss our next move," Scarlet replied, clapping her hands and straightening everything up.

 **Author's Notes**

 **Thanks to Niagara14301 for helping with the details on this chapter, and for letting me borrow their famous character Dorrie, and her sister Candice, who are characters in their story Dorrie.**

 **Gordon Lightfoot's Alberta Bound is not mine.**

 **Ezekiel's "Secret Singer" taunt is from chapter 6 of my story The Secret Love Song.**

 **James' experience with laughing lilies is from Make Way for Miss Nettle.**

 ** _Neckleotta Transformatto_** **and _Neckleotta Duplicatto_ are my own spells, and the Neckleotta Duplicatto spell is based on the one used in Sofia the Second.**

 **Thanks to Jacob Voronkov for letting me borrow their famous character the Scarlet Warrior.**

 **Scarlet's _Ebublio_ spell is based on the Bubble-Head charm used in Harry Potter.**

 **Amber and Sandra's conversation about singing was taken from Digimon World Tour part 2.**

 **Sofia's memories of Amber taking her amulet were from The Curse of Princess Ivy.**

 **Sofia's explanation about how the amulet summons princesses is from Once Upon a Princess.**


	7. Chapter 7

When the castle had been cleared of the vines, everyone met to discuss plans for when they saw Miss Nettle, Ezekiel, and Deidre again.

Sir Finnegan motioned for James to follow him. "Come over here, little prince. In Orillia, the squires get to be part of the planning sessions," When James was at his side, he looked up in surprise when he saw Sandra with Sir Avery. "What's this lass doing here?" he asked.

"I'm Sir Avery's squiress, or female squire," Sandra explained. "I guess this line of work isn't just a quote-unquote princess thing after all!" She caught the wink Sofia gave her, and gave her a thumbs-up in return.

"She's really good with a sword, Sir Finnegan," James agreed.

"Indeed she is," Sir Avery smiled. "I watched as you led the charge earlier. Well done, Princess Sandra!"

"I learned from the best," Sandra smiled.

"You did indeed, Princess Sandra, and Sir Gilliam was right to invite you to join the Royal Prep fencing club," they heard Miss Flora's voice above them. Everyone looked up, and saw her, Miss Fauna, and Miss Merriweather appear. "We've been watching everything that's been going on, and we couldn't be prouder of the work you and your friends have done." she continued.

"We also brought something to help you," Miss Merriweather added. She gave them a crystal the size of her hand. "This crystal is something Miss Flora, Miss Fauna, and I created when we heard that Miss Nettle was up to her old tricks again."

"What's it do?" Sofia asked.

"This crystal can be used to track down Miss Nettle. However, the crystal's power is limited, and only works if Miss Nettle is within a mile of it," Miss Flora explained.

"Good idea. Miss Nettle can't be too far away anyway," Sandra agreed.

James grinned. "Brilliant! A Nettle detector!"

"Not helpful, James," Amber frowned.

"Come on, everyone, there's no time to waste," Dorrie broke in.

"Good luck, everyone!" Miss Fauna called as she and the fairies returned to Royal Prep.

As the planning session went on, Sofia, Amber, James, Sandra, Dorrie, and Candice sneaked away and used the crystal to track Miss Nettle to an unoccupied room at the far end of the castle. They were all happy for the bubble protection still around their heads, since the smells were very strong here.

"She's close," Candice observed as she looked around.

"I'm closer than you think, dearie!" They looked up, and saw Miss Nettle, flanked by Ezekiel and Deidre.

A wand battle quickly broke out between Miss Nettle, Dorrie, and Candice. At the same time, James and Sandra used the training they received from Sir Finnegan and Sir Avery to try and protect Sofia and Amber from Ezekiel and Deidre.

Miss Nettle broke away from Dorrie and Candice. "Isn't that just precious," she mocked. "Now all of you move away from Princess Sofia!"

However, Dorrie came forward. "Leave her alone!" she shouted, then hoping to protect the group and do some damage to Miss Nettle herself, Dorrie raised her wand. "Elec-wait," she looked over at Candice. "Are you familiar with this spell?"

Candice smirked. "Hello? I have the same magical knowledge as you, so of course I know that spell!"

Dorrie grinned. "Good point. Let's do it!" She and Candice aimed their wands at Miss Nettle, Ezekiel, and Deidre, and yelled together, "Electroflash!"

The spell worked a little too well. A blinding flash of electrical energy shot from their wands, filled the room, and knocked everyone out.

When the light faded, Sofia noticed that the smells had become stronger. She reached up, and didn't feel the bubble protection around her head. She looked around, and noticed that Amber, James, and Sandra were also missing their bubble protection, and had been tied together with Wheezing Wisteria vines. Dorrie and Candice were with them, and Ezekiel had confiscated their wands, and to Sandra's anger, her fencing foil and training wand.

"Note for future reference: two Electroflash spells cast at the same time does more harm than good to everyone in the room!" Candice murmured.

"It was still a good idea, and that spell's worked for me before," Dorrie assured her.

"All of you, stop talking!" Ezekiel snapped.

Miss Nettle gave him a coquettish wink. "That's not a bad idea," she cooed as she aimed her wand at the group. She smirked as regular vines tied themselves around everyone's mouths. She glanced over at Deidre, adding, "Smart, handsome, and as cruel as you. He's definitely a keeper!"

"Thank you, Miss Nettle," Deidre smiled, "But I'd appreciate it if you didn't flirt with my boyfriend."

"Now I know why you quit that class," Amber tried to joke as the vines wrapped around her mouth.

"Amber, that's not helping!" Sandra said before the vines covered her mouth.

"Now, Sofia, hand over the amulet," Miss Nettle ordered, motioning for Ezekiel and Deidre to guard the door.

"Sof, no!" James' protest was already muffled, and he was frantically shaking his head. He gave her a look that said, _'Remember what happened when we gave Miss Nettle the spellbook?'_

Sofia turned sadly to her brother. "I know what you're thinking, James, and you're right. But I want all of you to be safe. And if giving my amulet to Miss Nettle is the only way to do that, then that's what I'm going to do," she said as she brought the amulet out.

Suddenly, she saw that the amulet was glowing a dark purple, almost black color. Everyone except Miss Nettle and herself had frozen in place. She looked around, and saw whom she thought was Princess Ivy. "I can't believe I'm saying this after my amulet summons a princess, but stay back!" she warned.

Queen Evonne smiled as she raised her hands, and watched as everyone started to move again. "I think you have me confused with my sister Ivy. I'm Queen Evonne, and I've brought some additional help."

Amber looked up at the mention of the name. _'Ivy? Why does that name sound familiar? I'll ask Sofia about it later,'_ she thought as Sandra kicked her fencing foil, which was by her foot, over to Sofia, hoping it would help protect her.

"You again?" Deidre scoffed, confiscating the sword before it reached Sofia. She aimed the blade at Queen Evonne, but Evonne used her own magic to take the sword away from her and levitate it over to Sofia.

"You know her?" Ezekiel asked.

"She tried to stop me from stealing the amulet one other time. But it's not going to work again!" Deidre declared.

At the same time, Elsa appeared in front of Sofia's friends. "Hello again, everyone," she smiled. "I contacted my sister Anna to help me. I'll have you out of here before you know it." She raised her hands. "Now this might feel a little cold, but it will help you, and it won't hurt." Elsa froze the vines trapping Dorrie, Candice, James, Amber, and Sandra, and after wincing at the initial shock of cold, they scrambled to their feet again when the vines binding and gagging them shattered.

"Is everyone okay?" Sofia asked as Dorrie and Candice picked up their wands, and she returned Sandra's fencing foil. "Thanks, Sandra, but I guess I didn't need this after all. And I'm sorry Deidre took it."

"I'm just trying to help, and we're all okay, and thanks for getting my sword back," Sandra paused and gave Queen Evonne a salute with the blade, then put it at her side as she asked, "But if Queen Elsa's here, then where's Zoe?"

"Don't worry, Princess Sandra, she's in her room playing with Olaf," Anna assured her.

When she saw Sandra nod in acceptance and pick up her training wand again, Sofia and her friends chased Miss Nettle, Ezekiel, and Deidre back to the throne room, where the knights and the guards were waiting for them.

"Attack!" Roland and Robert yelled, sounding the charge.

After a long time, Miss Nettle escaped after she used her magic to blow out another window, but the guards and knights had captured Ezekiel and Deidre, and they were trying to talk their way out of trouble. Apparently, it wasn't working, because Sofia and her friends told them that Ezekiel and Deidre had taken part in the fight, and had just stood by while they had been taken prisoner.

"They're lying! I didn't have anything to do with this! But I only did what I did because Miss Nettle put a spell on me at the same time she originally trapped you in those nets," Ezekiel tried to explain.

"I was under a spell too! I didn't mean anything by it! I wasn't acting on my own free will!" Deidre insisted.

"A likely story," a guard scoffed as he led Deidre to the castle dungeon.

"Is everyone all right?" Roland asked as he and Miranda helped check everyone over.

"We're fine, Dad," Sofia nodded. "But Miss Nettle escaped."

Roland hugged her. "As long as you're all right, that's what really matters."

"Okay, but what's going to happen to Ezekiel and Deidre?" Amber asked as she and James accepted hugs from Roland as well.

"Don't worry about Miss Nettle," Robert assured her as he put his arm around Sandra, "But Princess Deidre is banished from Orillia Castle for life. And as for you, Ezekiel," he added, turning toward his son, "It's true that you weren't actually part of this, and were asked to be spared. However, you didn't help your sister or her friends when they were in trouble. And it's true that you're already working here as a servant for six months, but three of those months will now be spent mucking out the stables."

Ezekiel shuddered at the thought of mucking out the stables. He remembered that Prince Hans of the Southern Isles had been sentenced to a similar fate as a result of trying to take over Arendelle.

"He certainly deserves that," Scarlet commented, then she turned to King Robert. "I beg your pardon, King Robert, but may I speak?"

"By all means, Queen Scarlet," Robert smiled and bowed.

Scarlet smiled as she came up to Sofia and her friends. "Now that Miss Nettle's been defeated again, I can say that all of you did a marvelous job defending the castle. And I have surprises for two of you." She beckoned Amber and Sandra forward. "Princess Sandra, please hand me your necklace. But don't worry; I'm not going to alter its appearance." When she had Sandra's necklace, she waved a finger in the air, producing a small crystal. She put it on the necklace, and it disappeared into the jewels. There was a purple flash of light, which soon faded as Scarlet continued. "Princess Sandra, this is the Amulet of Orillia. It now has the same magical qualities as Sofia's Amulet of Avalor." She also handed her a ruby flute. "And this is for you as well. You know that I watch over Enchancia, but I'm also Princess Sofia's guardian. And any friends of hers are also under my protection. If you ever need me, play this flute."

"Thank you, Scarlet," Sandra said as she put the necklace back on, then took the flute.

"And Amber, I have a special gift for you," Scarlet continued. When Amber came forward, she handed her the copy of Sofia's amulet after producing another crystal and watching it disappear into the necklace. There was a pink flash of light, which soon faded as Scarlet continued. "Amber, this is the Amulet of Sardonia. This also has the same magical qualities as the Amulet of Avalor."

"Thank you, Scarlet," Amber smiled as she put it on. "I'll make you and Sofia proud."

"So will I," Sandra agreed.

Scarlet smiled. "You already have."

Far away from the castle, Miss Nettle was fuming at her defeat, but she still vowed, "You haven't seen the last of Miss Nettle!"

 **Author's Notes**

 **Thanks to Niagara14301 for helping with some of the details in this chapter.**

 **Ezekiel's sentence of mucking out the stables was based on what Prince Hans was doing at the end of Frozen Fever.**

 **Electroflash was a spell first seen in chapter 20 of Niagara14301's story Dorrie.**

 **He gave her a look that said, _'Remember what happened when you gave Miss Nettle the spellbook?'_ James' silent question was based on Sofia giving Miss Nettle the fairies' spellbook in Make Way for Miss Nettle.**

 **"We also brought something to help you," Miss Merriweather continued. "This crystal is something Miss Flora, Miss Merriweather, and I created when we heard that Miss Nettle was up to her old tricks again." This is a reference to The Enchanted Feast when Miss Nettle disguised herself as Sasha the Sorceress.**

 **Elsa, Anna, and Olaf are all from Frozen.**

 **Amulet of Sardonia: In Niagara14301's stories, that's the kingdom Amber eventually moved to.**

 **The ruby flute is from Jacob Voronkov's The Scarlet Saga Part 1- The Scarlet Warrior**


	8. Chapter 8

When Deidre had been retrieved by her parents, and Ezekiel had been led to the stables, everyone saw Elsa's sister Anna come toward them, followed by her snowman friend Olaf, Zoe, and Ambre, but Sandra motioned for the cat to stay just inside the door so he could hear what was going on and not aggravate Roland's allergies.

"Sandra, look! It's Princess Anna! And Olaf!" Zoe cheered, then she started singing, _"Do you want to build a snowman…"_

"That takes me back," Anna smiled at her sister.

Elsa smiled as she heard Zoe sing a favorite song from her childhood. "And does this take you back, too?" She looked at Robert for permission, then when he nodded, she used her magic to turn the room into a winter wonderland.

"It sure does! I love it when you do that!" Anna smiled.

At the same time, Olaf turned to Sofia and her friends. "Hi! I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!" As the girls complied, he added, "I also like what Zoe did to Anna's nails!"

Elsa took Anna's hand, and saw that her fingernails had been coated with bright pink nail polish. "That's a good color on you," she commented. She then showed Anna her own hands, and Anna saw that her fingernails had been coated with red nail polish.

"I always wanted to try nail polish!" Olaf gasped.

"Funny you should say that, Olaf," Sandra grinned. She motioned Zoe over and pointed at the snowman. "Zoe! Olaf wants one of your famous makeovers!"

"Run, Olaf! I've had to play makeover with Amber before, and the end result isn't pretty!" James added jokingly.

"Running away!" Olaf smiled as he took off, all the while giggling happily. He just missed seeing Amber scoop up a handful of snow and drop it down the back of her brother's shirt in revenge for the comment, but everyone heard James' surprised yelp.

A week later, Sandra was at Enchancia Castle to help Sofia with fencing, and have a sleepover. "So, how does Amber like her new amulet?" she asked.

Sofia grinned. "She already has the power to talk to animals. You know that your necklace already had that power, and Scarlet told me that it was transferred into the copy. And when she heard that, Amber started talking to her flying horse Saffron, and her pets Lyra and Praline, and they haven't stopped. She's also really excited about our trip to Merroway Cove this summer; my amulet lets me turn into a mermaid, and now that Amber learns that she can do that, she can't wait to try that out herself. And of course, the night we got home after she got her amulet, she had to have a few more pink blouses, skirts, and dresses made so it goes with what she's wearing!"

The two girls laughed as Sandra said, "Only Amber could take something as important as a piece of magical protective jewelry and turn it into a fashion accessory! I mean, I shouldn't talk; like I said before, I originally bought my necklace as a memorial to my grandpa."

Sofia smiled, but then she turned serious. "Scarlet also told me about another new power my amulet has, and your amulet, and Amber's, has that too. If anyone tries to steal it, like Deidre and Miss Nettle did, it freezes everyone around them, and another person is summoned to act as a voice of reason to the one who wants to steal it. Those not frozen can take the opportunity to get to safety, or the person who wants to steal the amulet will just get a nasty scare and leave the person alone."

"Good to know, and that's an interesting power," Sandra nodded.

They were suddenly interrupted when Dorrie and Candice appeared. "Princess Sandra," Dorrie started, "Candice and I wanted to give you something for all the help you gave us during the fight at your castle that day."

"I didn't do anything; I was one of Nettle's hostages along with you two," Sandra tried to explain.

Candice smiled. "Helping lead the charge in the fight counts, and trying to protect Sofia when she was in trouble counts as something very important." With those words, she handed her a box. Inside was a wand, but Sofia noticed that it looked different from her, Dorrie, and Candice's wands.

"This is a wand that Candice and I made for you," Dorrie explained. "Eleven and three-quarter inches, maple, and unicorn hair core. We know you normally use a sword, but it never hurts to have an extra weapon at your disposal."

"Try it out!" Sofia urged.

As Sandra tried out her new wand, Dorrie made her amulet appear, then motioned for Candice to make hers visible, and for her and Sofia to take hold of their amulets so they could communicate telepathically. _'We asked Scarlet about giving Sandra that wand, and she said it was okay,'_ Dorrie began.

 _'We also asked Miss Flora, Miss Fauna, and Miss Merriweather about this, and they said that Sandra deserved a reward for all her help,'_ Candice agreed.

 _'That's good, and we can all help her learn how to use it,'_ Sofia chimed in.

The three girls quickly took their hands off their amulets, and Dorrie and Candice made theirs invisible before Sandra turned again. "Something I should know about?" she asked, seeing the relieved looks they shared when Dorrie's and Candice's amulets were hidden.

"We just wondered about Ezekiel and Deidre, and what happened after Miss Nettle escaped," Candice made up an excuse. "Sofia said she'd wait until we were alone before we talked about it again."

"Hold on; I think James and Amber might want to hear this too," Sandra held up a hand before Sofia started talking, and watched as Dorrie called for James and Amber, who had just come out to see what everyone was up to.

"We're here, Sof! Don't tell her yet!" James called a minute later as he and Amber came up and learned about the conversation.

"You weren't going to share this juicy bit of gossip without us, were you?" Amber asked. Like Sofia had just said, Amber was wearing her new amulet, a pink blouse and headband with diamonds, and a white skirt and shoes.

"Of course not!" Sofia grinned mischievously. "Okay, now that we're all together, I shouldn't say this, but…"

"Sof, you know what happens here stays here!" Sandra urged.

Sofia beckoned her closer. "Okay, Sandy, you didn't hear this from me, but I heard your dad and my dad talking about it a few days after we came back home. Deidre's been sentenced to work as a commoner in a hotel in Hythoria for three months!"

"Ooh, I bet that's put a big dent in her ego…and Nigel says _I_ have a problem with eavesdropping!" Sandra smirked.

"And to add insult to injury, I gave her this list of recipes Mom and I used to make, and which we gave to the kitchen staff here, if she wants to eat something. She'll be living on stews my mom used to make, chicken and herby mashed potatoes, and what James calls 'trail mix bars' for three months!" Sofia grinned.

Sandra gasped in mock horror. "Sofia, I can't believe you're telling me this…and not planning on giving me those recipes!"

"You cook?" Amber asked.

"Along with Weapons Proficiency, one of my favorite classes is Culinary Arts," Sandra explained. "I also help around the kitchen at my castle."

"In that case, I'll have one of the royal scribes copy the recipes for you," Dorrie offered.

A few days later, Sandra was in the kitchen of her castle making beef and "Guinness" stew, one of the recipes Sofia had given her. After making the stew, and having one of the maids call the family for lunch, Sandra dished some out into bowls, and they started eating. She also made sure to cut some of the meat up for Ambre so he could try it too.

"This is great!" Ambre purred as he sampled the cut up meat.

"You and Sof were right; this is good!" Sandra smiled, keeping her voice low. When Robert and Patricia looked toward her, she continued, "I was just telling Ambre that Sofia was so lucky growing up with these recipes. This is some of the best food I've ever tasted."

"And I know you'll make your Culinary Arts teacher proud with this," Patricia smiled.

"I hope so. And Mom, for your tea party tomorrow, I made sure to make a batch of those trail mix bars, and the ginger cookies you and Zoe were raving about yesterday," Sandra added.

Patricia smiled. Her daughter was becoming quite a talent in the kitchen. With these new recipes, she was going to go far.

At the same time, everyone was enjoying the new meal, and talking amongst themselves. It was nice seeing everyone having a good time. Everybody in the room was happy, and it was one of the best things in the world.

The End

 **Author's Notes**

 **Thanks to Niagara14301 for helping with the details on the chapter.**

 **Deidre's punishment was inspired by chapter 1 of Niagara14301's A Royal Rift.**

 **Elsa, Anna, Olaf, and _Do You Want to Build a Snowman_ are from Frozen.**

 **If anyone is interested in the recipes in this chapter, PM me and I will send them to you.**

 **Well, another story's come to an end. Thank you as always for reading, and for your wonderful reviews. And I know it's a little early, but Merry Christmas and Happy Wassalia, everybody! I hope you enjoyed this present!**


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